Ada
Adalen, more commonly called Ada, is a former bounty hunter/guard turned vagabond from Far West, Braynu. History Adalen was born in an unspecified territory within the large Braynu region known as the Far West. She was born into a cult called True Hand Blue, who believed their leader was a living god and that by following him they would be rewarded with eternal peace after the "promised day of ashes" arrived. Ada was raised to be a future member of the cult leaders harem, like her mother and sister before her had been. At the age of 11, Ada witnessed the arrival of the previously mentioned promised day. Nothing happened, exactly the opposite of what the cult leader and his most devout followers believed would happen. The truth and the realization of the leader's falsehood sparked disruption and argument amongst the people and the cult was divided in two. A fight broke out, culminating in a violent massacre, from which only Ada and six others survived. Everyone else was killed, including Ada's mother and sister. The surviving seven set their homes ablaze, so as to make certain they never returned. BOUNTY HUNTER/ARMED GUARD Ada and the few people she managed to escape with eventually became professional bounty hunters/armed guards. They called themselves Phoenix 7 and they became renowned in the Far West for not only apprehending/killing several noteworthy outlaws and culprits but for being highly successful guards with an unmatched success rate. The group eventually added more members, totaling 180. BALTHAZAR'S BAND & WAVER CREEK Following her departure from the bounty hunter/guard lifestyle, Ada ventured to the east, eventually finding herself in Spinel, Tarlyn. While traveling through a small town, she walked right through a fight between two representatives of two local gangs. She was attacked and swiftly killed 5 men from one of the gangs, before walking away. Latter in the day she was attacked by the gang whose men she had killed. With her two hands and her sword she killed 7 more people before killing the gang leader with her sand conversion fault, which caused the remaining gangsters to flee. Latter that same day, while eating and drinking in a tavern, Ada observed Balthazar and his group being annoyed and surrounded by a group of bandits. Balthazar and his group were provoked and a fight broke out. Ada joined in the fight and assisted Balthazar's group. Once again she used her sand power, this time to stop a crossbow dart. She killed the final bandit as he attempted to flee. After paying the tavern owner for the damages, Ada was approached by Balthazar, who thanked her for her assistance. He introduces himself and those in his group (Jacob, Doga, Scarface, Kiri, Rajor, Hulfar, Maddy and Ro). After confirming her powers were real he offered her a place in his group. She is told that the group are heading to Waver Creek, a halite mining town that has been taken over by a gang of outlaws. A former member of Balthazar's Band, Herman Wendell, sent his two children Patrick and Emma to the capital city Ashtown to enlist Balthazar and his allies to help. Ada decides to join. During the night, the group discover they are being robbed by a masked man. They attempt to subdue him but he proves to good for them. He surprises everyone, including Ada, by encasing his body in a metal-like skin. Ada attempts to use her own powers on him but he flees. In the morning the group ventures towards the Amber Monastery, believing the man to be a disciple due to his arm tattoos. They arrive and are escorted inside. They speak with the monastery master, Fai, detailing to him the events of the previous night. Balthazar and Fai talk about Gai, the masked man, while the rest of the group leave the room. Ada ventures about the monastery and meets the head martial instructor Zeng. He notes that she carries with her much blood on her hands and says she is shrouded in a dark cloak. The two decide to have a friendly sparring match. Both are evenly matched at first, but eventually Zeng prevails as the winner. Balthazar appears and tells the group that Gai will be accompanying them on their mission. The group soon sets off for Waver Creek. The next morning the group awakens to the smell of blood. A beastman appears. The group instantly prepare to fight. Balthazar, speaking the beast tongue, talks with the man. He reveals that he was exiled from the Bloody South and his name is Rak. Bal offers him the chance to join his group and take part in their mission. He accepts. Ada, Balthazar and Doga enter the town of Waver Creek. As they do, Maddy, Jacob and Scarface sneak to elevated positions. Balthazar confronts the numerous outlaws and slowly the rest of the group appears. Balthazar makes the first move, killing the outlaw leader, after which a battle breaks out between the two groups. Despite being outnumbered, Balthazar and his group prove far more skilled than the outlaws and they are slaughtered. One outlaw manages to escape while another is taken in alive. The captured outlaw, Myles, is interrogated by Balthazar. He reveals that he, and the other outlaws, are in fact actually houseswords of Lord Harold Malken and his two brothers Neville and Joshua, whose father Baron has recently passed on. He also reveals that Malken has been having financial difficulties and that taking control of Waver Creek was one attempt to keep himself from losing everything. Myles is decapitated. The group concludes that Malken will send in more people, either as his own soldiers or posing as bandits/outlaws. Though they never intended to fight against a Lord and his private soldiers, the group decide they will stay and fight. The group explain the situation to the town leaders and state that the town will have to be reinforced for when Malken arrives. The townsfolk create several fortifications, including hidden pitfalls, caltrops, spiked barricades, dirt ringfort, etc. The townsfolk are also forced to learn how to shoot bows and crossbows. The Malken's arrive with their soldiers (300 infantry, 100 archers/crossbowmen and 50 cavalry). The three brothers meet with Balthazar, Rajor and Doga, who ride out to meet them. Harold states that he and his brothers had heard that a town had been taken over by bandits and that they were here to stop them. Bal reveals that the bandits are all dead and introduces himself and his accomplices. He states that the defenses seen were for if the bandits returned. When questioned, the brothers claim the 450 soldiers were to scare the bandits into running away. Bal says he knows the truth about the brothers. The brothers in turn allow Balthazar and his group to leave the town. If not, they will be slaughtered. Bal tells the three to fuck off and rides back into town. The brothers archers loose their arrows but fail to cause any real harm. The townsfolk and the band do the same and kill several men. The cavalry is sent in but fail miserably due to the hidden potholes and pits. The survivors are picked off with arrows. The brothers send in 200 infantry, attacking in various locations. The dowsed ground between the pits and the ringfort are set alight, setting many men on fire. 80 soldiers lose their lives while the remaining 120 flee. The remaining forces are ambushed by Ada, who uses her power to run through dozens of men, killing them. She attacks the brothers and manages to kill Neville by decapitating him. The two remaining brothers and their remaining soldiers flee the scene. More preparations are made for the brothers return. A trench is dug behind the ringfort and lined with sharpened stakes. Underground bunkers are dug within the town to house/hide the children and those who cannot fight. Harold and Joshua return with their remaining soldiers. Accompanying them are 6 other lords and their houseswords, totaling 1500. The united force attacks from all directions, including from the northern woods. The soldiers rain down upon the town thousands of arrows, while wooden boards are laid down by the soldiers approaching on the ground. The soldiers reach the ringfort and begin making their way over the fortification. The signal is given the archers cease fire, allowing Joshua and 500 men to enter the town. They search and find nothing. Suddenly the two bridges in and out of the town are destroyed, trapping the men inside. Balthazar and his comrades appear atop the buildings and almost immediately begin shooting the men with arrows and bolts. The soldiers soon discover the booby traps spread throughout the town and one by one they are picked off. Eventually Ada, Rak and Gai are signaled and they enter the battle, attacking the lords and their 1000 soldiers. With their powers and abilities, the three prove substantial opponents to the enemy, killing many men one after the other. The two separate battles rage on, resulting in many deaths. Jacob and Doga are killed during the battle. Balthazar manages to kill Joshua by disemboweling him. The lords accompanying Harold decide to flee the scene and call for their soldiers to retreat. Harold decides shortly after to do the same. The battle officially ends. The townsfolk are brought back as Balthazar and the others mourn the deaths of Jacob and Doga. Ada goes after Harold, telling Balthazar she will bring him back. Ada arrives at Malken Keep and forces her way in. She kills many of the remaining soldiers and takes Harold hostage. Ada arrives back at Waver Creek, Harold secured. Balthazar silently forces Harold to a tree and without uttering a word hangs the lord. Joshua and Doga are cremated upon pyre's with the townsfolk gathered around. Herman and the town elders meet with Balthazar and the others a few days latter. The group are rested and the mess in the town has been cleaned up. The townsfolk give gifts and thank each of the group. Patrick gives a bracelet to Ada. She is flattered and kisses his cheek. Ada decides to head to Ashtown with the rest of the group and so they depart Waver Creek. LIFE IN ASHTOWN A few weeks have passed and Ada is working as a bouncer at Sloane's, Balthazar's bar. One night, Ada has a run-in with a group of gladiators from one of the cities local gladbrick's. They refuse to listen to her and she is forced to fight them and physically force them out. The following morning Ada is met by several houseswords under the employ of Peter Morgain, the gladmaster of the gladiator's from the previous night. They tell her that Morgain wishes to speak with her. She accepts the invite and heads to Peter's gladbrick/estate. She meets Peter, as well as the gladiator's from the previous night. Peter believes his men are certainly at fault but demands payment for the actions of Ada. Ada refuses to pay, stating that she did nothing wrong and that even if she wanted too she hasn't the money to pay. Morgain proposes a challenge: If she can best his second-tier gladiators he will forgive her and let her be, but if she loses she must become one of his gladiator's. She accepts. She fights and defeats all six of her opponents. Peter accepts her victory and lets her leave. Ada meets up with Maddy and the two go to dinner. Returning to Sloane's, she finds Balthazar bloody and beaten, his bar severely damaged. She takes Bal to the hospital and he is treated. He tells her that it was Peter's first-tier gladiators who caused the damage. He demands she not attack Peter or his men, as it will just be more blood. She says she will do as he says. Later that same night however, she does use her powers and stealth to sneak into Peter's home. Once inside she steals various valuables and leaves. Morgain appears at Sloane's the next morning, accompanied by his houseswords, demanding Ada return his belongings. She denies taking his things. The police arrive and the situation is explained. Balthazar allows the police to search his property. They do and Peter's property isn't found. Morgain insists Ada stole his property and challenges her to a trial by combat. Ada accepts the challenge. Morgain says he will send location details latter, before leaving. Ada arrives at the location decided on by Morgain. Gathered to watch the trial are several other Gladmaster's, all more higher-elevated than Morgain. Peter's champion steps forward, his most elite gladiator Marlowe. The trial begins and the two fight. Ada is surprised at the man's skill and strength but ultimately she emerges victorious, slaying her opponent in less than one minute. In frustration, Morgain reveals his hidden archers and orders them to kill Ada. They fire their arrows but fail to strike her as she dodges and deflects the projectiles. She proceeds to slay the houseswords until they are all dead. She prevents Morgain from leaving as he begs for help from the other gladmaster's. They refuse his requests due to his disregard for the trial by combat rules. Ada breaks his neck. Hours after the duel Ada is approached by Henry of the Gladiator Games Committee. He informs Ada that according to the way's of the gladmasters, Morgain's loss has resulted in the passing of his gladiator stable to Ada. She now owns his gladbrick, gladiators and his property and money. Ada is surprised by this news but accepts the tradition. Latter Ada travels to her new property. She walks around the complex, noting the long and previously glorious history of the Morgain family. She is informed by the caretaker Brendan that Peter's grandfather began the families tradition of repeated loses in the local games. The gladiator stable was once one of the greatest and now barely garners a passing favorable word from the public. Brendan reveals that he did not like Peter that much and that he is concerned with the stable's future. A mob of people arrive at the residence demanding the money owed to them. To their surprise, Ada produces the money and tells them to line up and receive their owed debts. Ada tells Brendan she'd like to see her gladiator's. The 40+ gladiators gather before Ada in the courtyard. She introduces herself as the one who killed not only Peter but also their former gladiator companions. She says she is not qualified to be a gladmaster. She offers all before her the chance to quit their positions. If they choose to do so she will let them leave, and will even give then some money as part of their farewell. She makes this offer to the servants as well. She will decide what she will do based on however many remain. The gladiators, led by Russ, refuse to serve under her. She accepts their decisions and arranges money for each of them. None of the servants choose to leave. Latter, Brendan states that without anyone to represent their stable in the up and coming Ashtown Open, the stable's already dismal reputation will further fall. At Ada's inquiry, Brendan explains that the Ashtown Open is a fighting tournament held twice a year. Anyone who wishes to compete needs only to sign up and then face opponents in one-on-one combat. The winner of the tournament receives $50,000 in prize money and a sword made of ren steel.. Every gladiator stable enters a representative in the tournament. She asks if the rep. has to be a gladiator, to which Brendan says no. She states that she herself will be the rep. ? ASHTOWN OPEN Ada arrives at the registry for the Ashtown Open, adding to the already 200+ fighters. She signs herself in, noting the interest she has gathered from her actions recently. She identifies the 14 Gladmaster's and their representatives. She meets Kiri and Scarface, both of whom have registered to fight. She is confronted by Russ who has also registered and who intends to kill her. All 256 fighters are gathered together. The layout of the fights are presented: * Day 1 - 9 lots of 7 simultaneous fights * Day 2 - 9 lots of 7 simultaneous fights * Day 3 - 9 lots of 7 simultaneous fights * Day 4 - 9 lots of 7 simultaneous fights, followed by 1 lot of 2 simultaneous fights * Day 5 - Break * Day 6 - Break * Day 7 - 9 lots of 7 simultaneous fights, followed by 1 one-on-one fight * Day 8 - Break * Day 9 - Break * Day 10 - 4 lots of 7 simultaneous fights, followed by 1 lot of 4 simultaneous fights * Day 11 - Break * Day 12 - Break * Day 13 - 16 one-on-one fights * Day 14 - Break * Day 15 - Break * Day 16 - 8 one-on-one fights * Day 17 - Break * Day 18 - 4 one-on-one fights, followed by semi-final matches, followed by the final match The fighters are sent home and are told to return the next day. Ada returns to the arena and the matches are announced. Ada is scheduled to fight Maran on the 4th day. Until then she attends the rounds and observes her potential opponents. She also watches Kiri and Scarface's victories On days 1 and 2. She also watches Russ' fight and subsequent victory on day 3. On day 4 Ada faces her opponent Reese. Though he is skilled, she finishes him in less than one minute. At the end of the day, all 128 fighters are brought together and congratulated for their success. On Day 7 Ada watches the matches before her own. Kiri, Scarface and Russ all win their matches. Ada faces her opponent Walden. He is more skilled than her previous opponent but she still obtains victory. All winners are gathered together like before and congratulated. On Day 10 Ada watches the matches before her own. Kiri and Russ win their matches, Russ defeating a gladiator of one of the stables. Scarface however loses his match to Henrik and is killed in the process. Ada faces her opponent Adam. In anger of Scarface's death she overwhelms her opponent, killing him. All winners are gathered together like before and congratulated. On Day 13 Ada watches the matches before her own. Kiri wins her match. Russ faces off against Henrik. It becomes clear that Henrik is superior in skill than Russ but he does not finish the match, deciding to prolong the confrontation and toys with Russ. Despite being wounded several times Russ refuses to go down and even when he finally does he gets to his feet, sword in hand. Henrik drops his weapons and proceeds to disarm and severely beat Russ. He crushes Russ' head beneath his boots, killing him. Ada latter faces her opponent Walden. He is more skilled than her previous opponent but she still obtains victory, this time without killing her opponent. All winners are gathered together like before and congratulated. Appearance ? Personality ? Powers/Abilities POWERS Sand Touch ABILITIES Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant Skilled Marksman Weapons Mastery Indomitable Will WEAPONS Ada's preferred weapon is a two-handed foreign saber, which she wields proficiently with either one hand or two. Using her power to transfer her sand conversion to objects she uses, she often uses weapons to turn what she strikes into sand. She especially likes to utilize non-lethal hand thrown projectiles in such a way, such as rocks, pebbles, sticks, etc.